A Piece of My Heart
by LostInMySanity
Summary: Jack Sparrow has everything he could ever want, including the Pearl. However, when something in his past comes back to haunt him, he realizes that a piece of his heart is missing and he needs help to carry on. My first fanfic. R&R please.
1. Something's Missing

A Piece of My Heart by LostInMySanity

Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story are from the epic move Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which in my opinion is perfection on screen. I do not own any of these characters or things based on the plot; they are property of Disney studios.

A/N: This idea came to me when I was thinking of what would happen in the sequels to the movie. Sorry if the characters are a little OOC. Enjoy ï 


	2. Lost

Chapter Two:

"Well, this is it." Will said as they came to bungalow tucked in the edge of town. Pearl felt bad to burden him and his family, another mouth to feed and there couch taken up at night, but the determination to learn about her father and find him was stronger.

Will opened the door, inside; waiting for him was his smiling wife. She had long brown hair with hints of blonde and strikingly beautiful features on her face. Even though they had a son, her figure was in perfect shape.

"Hi sweetie," She kissed her husband, and then noticed the girl in the doorway, "Whose thi-?" But she already figured it out. The features on her face said it enough. She knew that it was the daughter of no one other than Captain Jack Sparrow, and her mother was easy to figure out as well, with the long wavy hair and sassy look in her face.

"_You're daft lady."_

It was simple to see, she was the daughter of Anamaria, and then of course....

"_Gents, this should be the day that you will always remember as the day that you almost caught **Captain Jack Sparrow**!"_

"Pearl..." Pearl walked up to Will's wife and held out her hand, "Pearl Sparrow."

"_Ha, I knew it!" _She thought, "Hi, I'm Elizabeth." She took the hand hastily, so proud to meet the daughter of one of her saviors...no matter how vain or selfish he was.

"Pearl is looking for her father," Will told Elizabeth, breaking her concentration. He gave her a look that said "you know who." "I told her that she could stay with us dear."

"Oh-oh yes of course, we don't have much, but you can sleep on our couch right here."

"Thank you...you're um...very kind." Pearl looked as if it were hard to give anyone a compliment other than herself of her father.

Elizabeth smiled, but it was kind of a fake smile. She seemed a little taken aback by the way Pearl said it, but she had to understand that she was Jack's daughter, "Well, I hope you feel at home."

"_I could never feel at home here, there's no ship...and my father's gone too."_ Pearl thought, but didn't say aloud for fear of insulting Elizabeth again.

"Well, I better get back to making dinner, I hope you don't mind stew Miss Sparrow." She smiled at Pearl, this time it was real. She started to turn towards the kitchen, thinking of what to put in the broth.

"Please, don't be formal with me; I am a pirate after all." Pearl sat down on the couch, next to a little boy who had been silent the whole time. He looked three, maybe four years old, with frightened eyes, big and dark. His hair was a wavy brown and he was almost too skinny to function by the look of it, "Hello there." She said to the boy. He just looked at her blankly, almost as if she had three heads.

"That's Joseph," Will said, who had been quiet for a long time, "He doesn't like to talk...or eat..." He explained softly. He looked as if he were about to cry, "He's almost lost to us, I just hope one day he'll speak up...excuse me." Will hurried out of the room, slamming the door. He needed privacy, Pearl understood. She had been lost to her parents for eight years now.

"Hey little fellow," She said to him, he was still staring at her, "I just want you to know that I understand what you're going through. I've been lost and lonely for a long time now, but if you don't speak up, one day, it will come back to haunt you. Life ain't gonna be easy unless you find a way." Pearl thought back to that night eight years ago, the night where a part of her was lost forever. Sailing in the lifeboat, making way to Port Royal, crying harder with every inch she took.

"How are you lost?" She heard a faint sound coming from something next to her, Joseph was still staring at her, but he had spoken. Maybe he wasn't so hopeless after all.

Pearl sighed, "That was my choice, I chose to be lost, and I've regretted it everyday."


	3. Memories Come Back to Haunt

A Piece of My Heart by LostInMySanity

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I'm just a loser with no good ideas.

Chapter Three:

Jack stood at the ship's wheel, trying to appear the arrogant, drunk pirate that the crew expected. Softly to himself, he sang his favorite song, "Yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me." Tears floated into his eyes, he tried to hold them back with blinks, "That was her favorite song..." He whispered. He and she had had a lot in common. Completely inseparable, he had no idea what had happened that would make her do what she did. It was so hard to carry on everyday, thinking about what could have happened to his daughter, his pearl. She would be sixteen now, that is if she were still alive.

"What did I do wrong?" He asked himself rather loudly. He slammed his hand on the ship's wheel. He thought of that night eight years ago, peering through the hole and seeing her with a bag over her shoulder, leaving a piece of paper on the dresser. He kept that letter in his pocket, remembering what it said exactly.

_Daddy,_

_I have to go away for awhile, but I'll come back, I promise. Take good care of mommy; make sure she doesn't slap you too much. I know this is hard, but you have to understand. You have to believe...and move one. I'll come back for you._

_With love,_

_Pearl._

"Cap'n, is something wrong?" Gibbs looked at his captain with concern.

"Nothing's wrong Gibbs, back to your duties..." Jack choked out.

"Do you want to sing the pirate song?" Gibbs grinned at Jack, unconvinced that there was nothing bothering him.

"Gibbs...get the hell out of my face right now before I punch you...right in your diddly squat!"

Gibbs didn't need telling twice.

Pearl sat at the table, eating her stew; it was the most food she had eaten in eight years. Being a little girl on the streets didn't get you much food. She was quiet throughout dinner, as were everyone else. Joseph was gazing at her in admiration, shocked that she didn't tell his parents that he had talked to her. Pearl could read his face, so she leaned over to him and whispered in his ear, "It'll be our little secret..."

"What secret?" Will asked, a curious expression spread across his face, the fire of excitement in his eyes.

"Can't tell ya, it's a secret," Pearl didn't dare tell him, she didn't want to lose Joseph's trust, when it may be all she had in this world right now. Will looked at her, he wanted to strangle her, you could tell, but, the toughness of a pirate was in Pearl's blood. She shook her head at Will.

"Is everyone finished?" Elizabeth asked. She wanted to stop the confrontation, it was tearing her apart. When everyone nodded, she suggested the living room for some cake, "The dishes can wait," She smiled and everyone went into the living room while she got the cake.

When everyone was settled, Pearl was burning to ask questions. So she hastily spoke up before anyone else could, "Do you have any stories about my father?" She asked both Will and Elizabeth, as she chewed on her stale cake.

"Boy do we ever," Elizabeth said. She told Pearl everything, from saving her life to the medallion to getting stranded on the island to him almost getting hanged and the happy ending the came with it. Pearl laughed and gaped and gasped all in the right parts. Her father was a variety of sorts, shocking and funny. She loved him so much.

"And then of course, there's Will's part of the story...don't forget, I wasn't with your father for awhile," She said pointedly to Will. Pearl gave him a begging look, trembling with excitement of what had happened in Will's story.

"Elizabeth, can I see you in the bedroom for a moment?" He said, instead of telling the story. Pearl's expression quickly faded to a frown. She now sat there as Elizabeth nodded and they made their way to their room.

"You wanna listen?" Pearl heard that faint voice in my ear again...Joseph. She smiled, "Kid, you'd make a good pirate," She followed him toward the bedroom.

"Don't you think this is a little hard for her?" Will said to Elizabeth, more so stating than questioning.

"Of course it's hard for her Will; she hasn't seen her family for eight years, she's curious to know about her father, so I will tell her about her father!" She exclaimed at Will. Pearl knew that they were talking about her; it was a little bit too obvious.

"I can't see why she would love her father so much, he did abandon her!" Will shouted, that was it, Pearl had to do something. She opened the door, not caring that it was rude. She had already been eavesdropping anyway.

"HE DIDN'T ABANDON ME!" She shouted, perhaps too loudly, "I-," She looked at the wall, as if ashamed to look them in the eye. "I ran away." She said softly.


	4. Pearl's Story

A Piece of My Heart by LostInMySanity

Disclaimer: still own nothing

A/N: Thanks to my reviewer, it means so much to me that someone's interested

Chapter Four:

"You...you ran away?" Will was stunned, he looked like he wanted to strangle Pearl again, "You made me feel sorry for you and offer you a place to stay when in reality you chose to be that way?!"

"Why would you think my father would abandon me?" Pearl asked angrily, in her mind, her father was flawless. He would never do that to his little girl.

"Because when I first met your father, he was scum. I can only assume that he was like that three years before I met him as we-!"

SLAP!

Pearl had slapped Will right across the face, interrupting him in mid-sentence. That look that her mother got in her eye whenever she looked at Jack, after he had stolen her boat, was flashing inside of Pearl's.

"_I suppose you didn't deserve that one either?"_

"_No, that one I deserved."_

"YOU'RE WRONG!" Pearl screamed, "MY FATHER WAS NOT SCUM, HE WAS THE BEST DADDY IN THE WORLD! I WAS THE SCUM!" Pearl gave Will a death glare, daring him to say otherwise. You had to fear her; she was one of those scary pirates.

"Why did you run away anyway?" The faint voice came out of nowhere yet another time, only this time in front of his parents. Joseph had found himself in his curiosity. For that, Will and Elizabeth thank Pearl forever.

For now, Will just stared at his son, and then back at Pearl, the fire coming into his eyes, "So this is the secret huh? My son talks to you, a perfect stranger, but he won't talk to his own parents?! TELL ME ELIZABETH, WHAT HAVE WE DONE WRONG?!"

"You don't understand him! You don't know what it's like! To be lost in a world you know nothing of! That's why I ran away! I was lost in the world of a pirate, sure, it was the most fun I'd ever had! But I was determined to know more, about the world around me! The Pearl was supposed to be docked for a few days in Port Royal, so I left my parents perhaps an all-too dramatic note and sailed away to the dock. I planned to learn about it for a few days. Find out if a pirate's life was really a better life. I can only assume that when my father found the note, he went to find me, probably thinking that I'd be on the sea...when really I was here. YES, IT IS ALL MY FAULT THAT I AM HERE! SO KICK ME OUT, WHY DON'T YA? I'VE SURVIVED ON THE STREETS FOR EIGHT YEARS; NO DOUBT I CAN'T DO IT FOR ANOTHER!" Pearl felt as if steam were coming out of her ears, she suddenly felt too much humidity. All was closing in on her, she needed to escape. But this was the closest thing to a normal family that she'd ever had, she didn't want to lose sweet Elizabeth or quiet Joseph or even temperamental Will. So, she didn't move. She sat there and took the heat.

Everyone was silent for a moment or two, obviously at a loss for words. They had just heard the story that went wrong. Why Pearl was still stuck in Port Royal, the poor girl had probably been looking for her father ever since she realized that she wasn't going back on The Black Pearl.

Pearl could remember all the crying she had done on the dock that day. She would not be able to keep her promise to her father. That brought more tears to her eyes then the actual leaving of the Pearl. Her father would hate her forever, thinking she betrayed him. That's why she had been looking for him, all those years.

_I'll come back for you._

"You don't have to search any longer Pearl," Joseph's little voice came out of the silence, "I'll help you find your daddy, I'll make everything okay." His face was still expressionless when he talked, but it didn't matter, he was talking.

Will smiled at his son, you could tell he loved to hear his voice, "And I will help also," He whispered.


	5. Commandeers and Turn Arounds

Chapter Five:

Jack was alone in his room once again, this time reading the letter instead of fiddling with the locket. "She never came back..." He trembled with every thought of her in his head, "If she won't come back...I'll make her," He said, "That little brat."

_But where could she be? Where could she have gone? I searched the waters, nothing. Where were we docked that day?_

He leaned out of his cabin and saw Anamaria driving the ship, probably a little angry that Jack was not doing this himself. "Anamaria, love!" He shouted at her, she looked at him with angry eyes, "Turn this ship around, we're going to Port Royal!" He screamed excitedly. He ran to Anamaria and wrapped his arms around her neck, "We're going to Port Royal!" He sang.

SLAP!

Anamaria slapped Jack across the face, "Now, answer me this, why are we going to Port Royal?" She looked as if she wanted to slap Jack again; turning a ship around was hard work.

"Don't you remember?" He asked softly, "We were docked there...eight years ago...when it happened. That's where she was and that's where she'll be."

Anamaria rolled her eyes in protest but continued to turn the ship around, "I think you're crazy," She whispered.

"Remind me Will, where are we going to get this ship?" Pearl asked Will as they continued down the streets of Port Royal.

"Well-err-before I tell you that, you must be aware that we are in a rather desperate situation and rather-erm- low on cash," He looked at Pearl in an odd way, almost scary, yet nervous. You could tell, Pearl may not like this idea.

Pearl nodded anyway, telling him to continue, "Go on, get it over with," She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"We're going to use that ship," He pointed to the royal navy ship, The Dauntless, "To commandeer that ship," He pointed to the Interceptor.

"_Everyone stay calm, we are taking over this ship!"_

"_Aye! Avast!"_

Will laughed at the thought of him and Jack, commandeering those same ships only five years ago. How everyone had laughed at him. He smiled every time he thought about that adventure now; it had been the time of his life.

Pearl and Will made their way to the ships quickly; Joseph was dragging behind, trying to keep up with them. Sadly, they were both full-grown pirates and he was-well-he was only 25% pirate, and with his little legs, wasn't much help. He, however, was determined to join us in our quest for Pearl's happiness. He loved Pearl like a sister, they connected so well.

They hid behind barrels until Will gave them the okay to run. All three of them ran onto the ship, Will remaining behind, they'd probably let two kids on easier than a familiar face from the commandeer five years ago. Will smiled at them with their swords, Joseph's minimizing him, he was already short for his age.

"Everyone remain calm, we are taking over this ship!" Pearl ran out in front of Joseph, her sword in her belt, grin on her face, despite the situation.

"Aye! Avast!" Yelled little Joseph, Pearl widened her eyes at him; she never knew he had so much power in his voice.

Everyone laughed at them, and the familiar encounter they had had five years ago.

"Gents," Pearl said, she didn't like being laughed at, "I'm Pearl Jacklyn Sparrow, savvy?"

Pearl and Joseph pretended to know what they were doing, Pearl grabbed the wheel and Joseph began to swab the deck. They giggled at the men in the lifeboats yelling, "SPARROW AND TURNER ARE TAKING THE DAUNTLESS!"

They saw the Interceptor coming towards them. People coming onto the Dauntless, Will grabbed Joseph, and then a rope. Pearl grabbed a rope too, and together, they swung into the Interceptor.

"_Thank you commodore for getting us ready to make way."_


End file.
